Proud of our Thunderhawks!

Schedule

At 7:30 p.m., unless noted

Nov. 26 — at Cloquet-Esko-Carlton

Nov. 29 — White Bear Lake (Grand RapidsGreenway Turkey Trot)

Nov. 30 — Blaine, 1:30 p.m. (Grand RapidsGreenway Turkey Trot)

Dec. 3 — Eveleth-Gilbert, 7 p.m.

Dec. 7 — Shakopee, 2 p.m.

Dec. 10 — at Hibbing-Chisholm, 7 p.m.

Dec. 17 — at Duluth, 5:15 p.m.

Dec. 20 — at Brainerd/Little Falls, 5 p.m.

Dec. 26 — vs. North Wright County (Edina Classic), 2:15 p.m.

Dec. 27-28 — Edina Classic, TBA

Jan. 7 — at Duluth Marshall

Jan. 10 — Elk River/Zimmerman, 7 p.m.

Jan. 11 — Forest Lake, 2 p.m.

Jan. 16 — at Blake (Hockey Day Minnesota), 8 p.m.

Jan. 17 — at Andover

Jan. 18 — at North St. Paul/Tartan, 3 p.m.

Jan. 23 — Cloquet-Esko-Carlton, 7 p.m.

Jan. 25 — at Alexandria, 2 p.m.

Jan. 28 — Duluth (in Coleraine), 7 p.m.

Jan. 31 — Hibbing-Chisholm, 7 p.m.

Roster

Coach: Brad Hyduke

2018-2019 records: 18-9

Conference: Independent (Lake Superior starting 20-21)

Section: 7AA

Key departures: Sadie Peart (Quinnipiac), Maddie Drotts, Sasha Stefan, Jazzi Rohloff

Key returners: F Claire Vekich (Class AA all-state honorable mention), F Ellie Tillma, F Amber Elich, F Jordan Troumbly, D Hannah Mark, D Kayden Broking, D Kaisa Reed, G Emily Trast, G Makenzie Cole

Outlook: The Light-

Go Raiders!

GO THUNDERHAWKS!

ning will blend a strong core of returners with an influx of talent from the junior varsity and girls youth programs, but replacing someone the caliber of Peart will be difficult. Peart, the 2019 News Tribune All-Area Player of the Year and a Minnesota Ms. Hockey Award semifinalist, has already earned Eastern College Athletic Conference rookie of the week honors at Quinnipiac, an NCAA Division I program in Hamden, Conn. The process of developing chemistry will be a yearlong endeavor but the Lightning have the pieces in place, starting with captain Claire Vekich and goaltender Emily Trast. Vekich, just a junior, led all Class AA sophomores with 33 goals last season. The News Tribune All-Area first-team selection has committed to play at Bemidji State next year. She’s coming off a fall season in which she helped lead Greenway to the Class A state volleyball consolation title. Hyduke sees potential in young skill players like cousins Mercury and Jazzy Bischoff, but it will be tough advancing to the state tournament out of a stacked section. Mercury is a seventh grade forward who came out of peewees last year to score the game-winner for the Lightning in this year’s season opener, while Jazzy, a freshman blue liner, is the younger brother of Jake Bischoff, who made his NHL debut this year with Vegas. Hyduke said as many as five Section 7AA teams could be among the top 15 to 20 teams in Class AA, including topranked Andover.

Jon Nowacki, News Tribune

HIBBING-CHISHOLM BLUEJACKETS ROSTER

Coach: Pete Hyduke

2018-2019 record: 10-16

Conference: Independent

Section: 7A

Key departures: G Abby Edstrom (2.28 GAA, .925 save percentage, four shutouts); Maria Gherardi (14-11—

15) and Sydney Haben (3-2—5)

Key returners: Sr. F Emma Lundell (11-14— 25); sr. F Allie Bussey (15-14—29); jr. F Dorothy Kearney (7-1—8); so. F Julia Gherardi (3-8—11); jr. D Maddie Rewertz (1-7—8); jr. D Courtney Anderson

Schedule

(1-5—6) and sr. G Lily Hess

Outlook: Veteran coach Pete Hyduke will lead the team as Emily Erickson is taking a oneyear leave of absence. Hyduke has former Hibbing and Apple Valley coach Mark DeCenzo on the bench with him; they coached boys hockey together in the 1990s. The Bluejackets and Proctor-Hermantown are the only teams to win Section 7A over the past seven seasons, with Hibbing-Chisholm winning in 2013, ’15 and ’17, and the Mirage in ’14, ’16 and the past two seasons. The Bluejackets have a knack for turning it on in the playoffs but were blanked 3-0 by the Mirage in last year’s section semifinals. The biggest question will be goaltending, where Hibbing-Chisholm graduated News Tribune All-Area performer Abby Edstrom, who had the ability to stifle opponents and take over games. While her action was limited last season, Lily Hess, now a senior, looked good in spot duty backing up Edstrom, who is now playing for Finlandia. Hess stopped 81 of 86 shots she faced last season, good for a .942 save percentage.

Nov. 29 — Silver Bay, 6 p.m.

Nov. 29 — at Blaine, 5:30 p.m.

Nov. 30 — at White Bear Lake, 11:30 a.m.

Dec. 3 — International Falls, 7 p.m.

Dec. 5 — Cloquet-Esko-Carlton, 7 p.m.

Dec. 10 — Grand Rapids-Greenway, 7 p.m.

Dec. 12 — at Moose Lake Area, 7 p.m.

Dec. 19 — Duluth Northern Stars, 7 p.m.

Dec. 26-28 — South St. Paul Tournament

Jan. 7 — at Eveleth-Gilbert, 7 p.m.

Jan. 11 — Roseau, 2 p.m.

Jan. 16 — at Proctor-Hermantown, 7 p.m.

Jan. 23 — Duluth Marshall, 7 p.m.

Jan. 24 — at Alexandria, 7:15 p.m.

Jan. 28 — Moose Lake Area, 7 p.m.

Jan. 31 — at Grand Rapids-Greenway, 7 p.m. Hibbing-Chisholm's Julia Gherardi moves the puck during a Nov. 16 game against Mahtomedi at Hibbing Memorial Arena.

Emily and John Law / Flom Designs and Photography

Jon Nowacki, News Tribune